House Sends Juvenile Justice Bill To Chiles

TALLAHASSEE — The measure establishes a new state Juvenile Justice Department, more after-school programs and tougher penalties for those under age 18 who commit violent or multiple crimes.

Rep. Larcenia Bullard had her own reasons for joining House members in unanimously passing a $220 million juvenile justice package.

The Miami Democrat's 16-year-old son, Dwight, was beaten last weekend by three gun-wielding teen-agers.

"Don't let what has happened to me happen to any of you," Bullard told the House, while fighting back tears. "Help me, and help other parents who want to raise their children in the right way."

The House voted 117-0 to give final approval to the juvenile justice package, one of the keystone measures of this legislative session after last year's tourist murders. The Senate gave it the go-ahead on Wednesday the package now goes to Gov. Lawton Chiles.

The measure establishes a new state Juvenile Justice Department, more after-school programs and tougher penalties for those under age 18 who commit violent or multiple crimes.

Chiles is expected to quickly sign the bill into law.

"It's a pretty good package," Chiles said after the House vote. "It's a good start of a prevention program."

About 83,000 juveniles were arrested in Florida last year, but many passed through the criminal justice system with little punishment, said Rep. Buzz Ritchie, D-Pensacola, who helped craft the package.

Law enforcement experts estimate about 1,500 teen-agers are hard-core delinquents who commit serious crimes repeatedly. The bill allows for construction of about 1,000 new beds in various detention and rehabilitation programs.

"We definitely have the ability ... to handle those deep-end juveniles," Ritchie said.

The bill (CS/SB 68) was inspired by a year plagued with high-profile juvenile crime ranging from random, youth-on-youth violence to the killing of British and German tourists, allegedly by teen-agers in robbery attempts.